The ruling new patriotic party is set to organize its parliamentary primaries to select members of parliament for constituencies where they have sitting MPs.
The party initially fixed the election date around January 2020 but somewhere along the lines it was shifted to April 2020.
Sources close to the party’s national office have it that the change in calendar was necessitated by a petition sent to them by a group of MPs who think that losing their seats early will affect their performance and inputs in parliament. If that is true, then my question is, have they also forgotten that marketing a new MP also needs time? This same source indicates that the April date is likely to be changed again to somewhere February or March, 2020.
Indeed, all MPs who takes delight in mediocre performance will relinquish their seats or the well informed and the well-meaning delegates will show them the exit, Otuo Serebuor, campaign manager for Obeng Mensah, who is unfurling his sleeves to contest the Abuakwa North seat, against Hon. Gifty Twum-Ampofo stated.
What is mediocrity?
In short mediocrity means enjoying yourself in an average or ordinary performance.
Situating this in our everyday life, paying your children’s fees, giving your wife house-keeping money, buying food for your family and the rest are good, but priding yourself in them makes you a mediocre.
Why? Because doing those things are only fulfilling responsibilities which society requires from every ordinary person.
That is why the former president John Dramani Mahama said to NPP in 2008 that every government who prides itself in building of hospitals, roads, schools and so on, is only engaging in acts of mediocrity and it was equally and extensively used against him in 2016.
Why are people in politics?
Your guess is as good as mine.
Every political being has ambitions, some are intrinsic and some explicit. But by and large, people engage in politics primarily at the grassroots in order for doors which were hither to close to them be opened to them so that they get access to power through the political structures to better their lots.
With these in the minds of delegates they choose an MP who they think can help them along these lines and even do the unthinkable or go the extra mile to bring relief to them.
If an MP uses common funds to pay school fees, construct school buildings, construct bore holes etc and he or she is glorifying him or herself that MP is actually engaging in mediocrity.
Some MPs use common funds to assist a delegate and it is all over the place l have helped this individual, l have helped that individual.
Please if you are an MP and you are out there engaging in this act, l am sorry.
Delegates will reject you.
If it is about who have helped each other, then the delegates will tell you they helped you first by assisting you to become an MP so doing those things are only fulfilling your responsibility which you must not claim ownership.
Some MPs write introductory letters to some delegates and party loyalist to get some jobs or appointments and it is out there l have helped this, l have help that. Yes, it’s true you have helped but please Honorable Member of Parliament that is why you are there so count it as a responsibility and not as a favor.
Please readers should not get me wrong.
All these acts of these MPs are good and people must show appreciation but these are ordinary things every MP must do and must be seen by the MPs from the angle of responsibilities and not from the angle of favor.
One thing that is so sure about these mediocre MPs is that they believe so much in “moneycracy”
Yes, in some cases MPs who have paid higher sums of monies in primaries have won.
But that was then, as we speak some MPs may be busy parking monies to share during primaries. Now NPP delegates are highly enlightened and knows that most MPs who pay these high sums of monies consider that they bought the votes so they don’t owe them any responsibility again hence their mediocre attitude.
During the just ended NPP Orphan constituency primaries and NDC primaries all will bear me witness that some aspirants paid huge sums of monies but they lost, some even presented cars yet they lost. This is a clear signal to any sitting Member of Parliament who think that money is all delegates needs to rethink.
With all due respect our Honorable Members of Parliament must sharply reckoned that no matter your academic qualifications you didn’t go through application for employment and interviews to be appointed therefore you are not there base on your own merit and academic prowess but you are there because the delegates first had faith in you and voted for you and afterwards sold you to the masses in the constituencies therefore your continuous stay in office rest on the shoulders of the delegates.
Let me be clear in the minds of people that there are some real and genuine benevolent MPs who are found of paying huge sums of monies in seasons and out of seasons to their delegates and constituents to soften their burdens. These are not the MPs who buy the votes. Ironically these MPs are very humble and don’t even mention or boasts of these things they do rather it is the constituents themselves that appreciate and accord them the needed respect as they say respect is reciprocal.
All MPs must learn from our president his Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo after building Roads, schools, hospitals and the rest which he considers as a responsibility, he goes the extra mile of implementing mind boggling policies like free SHS, NABCO, etc.
As an MP what kind of mind-boggling policy do you have for your delegates and constituents?
What “EXTRA MILE” have you gone to reduce the burdens of your delegates or your constituents?
If all you can immediately get is “l have paid school fees, l have helped this one to get an appointment by introductory letter, l have built schools, roads etc”, that is good but please it is not enough, “please don’t be among the Hawks be among the Eagles”. Begin to revise your notes or be ready to go back and learn to have a broader perspective.
“The truth is bitter, but is shapes the future. Those who care takes it with a pinch of salt”.
What are delegates actually expecting from their MPs?
To answer the question, one must also answer why some Members of Parliament have been on their seats for more than three consecutive terms and yet their delegates still want them to stay.
In my opinion l believe every constituency is unique and the factors are different from each other.
This is part one of my articles.
Expect part two in few weeks.
A word to the wise is enough.
